


Foreign Chocolate [Violet]

by shirozora



Series: 7: The Colors of the Rainbow [7]
Category: Pundit RPF (US)
Genre: 7: The Colors of the Rainbow series, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-20
Updated: 2010-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-06 12:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirozora/pseuds/shirozora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven colors, seven themes, seven expressions of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foreign Chocolate [Violet]

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
> 
> I hijacked a few prompts from an enormous list of various prompts and themes I found throughout LiveJournal. Sorry for not following the rules of the communities that originally provided them.

If ever he regretted doing something, it was telling Anderson that he took Lent seriously.

The question came up early on during Lent, when he was interviewing Anderson for _The Colbert Report_ before the silver-haired anchor jetted off on a trip to some northern European country along with half the world leaders.

Also in that same interview he made fun of Anderson's TV habit.

He didn't think that would amount to anything. Everyone knew what kind of character he played in front of the camera and the live audience, so there was no reason for Anderson to take offense, right?

That still didn't explain the small heavily taped cardboard box he discovered on his desk shortly after he finished filming. An aide said it was delivered by UPS a little while earlier, and she put it in his office since he was on set at the time. And so he opened it, curious about its contents and, more importantly, its sender.

Thirty minutes later Jon was in the office, giving him a "you dragged me all the way here for _this_?" look on his face but Stephen didn't care, he was too shocked and outraged to care.

"-he knew, Jon! Of course he knew-"

"Stephen, I think you're overreact-"

"-I told him last week how seriously I took my faith-"

"Stephen, calm down, you're reading too much into this-"

"-remember when Ben and Jerry were on the set to tell the world-"

"Stephen, _shut up_! …seriously, you're overreacting."

"No I'm not!" he retorted, sticking his finger in Jon's face. "He's out to get me, I know he is! That sly son of a bitch, it was the crack about reality TV, wasn't it? Wasn't it-"

"Who's talking here, you or 'Stephen'?"

The near-instant snappy retort died on his tongue and Stephen clammed up. Jon was giving him that eyebrow and the crossed arms, which said it all: Seriously, calm the fuck down.

It was too soon after the show, and sometimes he had trouble switching back from "Stephen". It was nice having someone around who knew the difference and wasn't offended by it. Stephen took a deep breath, then removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat on the edge of his desk. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's just chocolate, Stephen. I don't see why you had to drag me all the way over here for a box of chocolate-"

"_Foreign_ chocolate-"

"Alright, fine, _foreign_ chocolate." Jon began pacing, taking on Stephen's distress. "It's still just a box of chocolates…with lots of fancy stamps on it. Unless you gave up sweets again for Lent-"

About that.. "What if I tell you I did?"

Jon looked up at him, both eyebrows shooting up and emphasizing the wrinkles on his forehead. Then they smoothed over and he rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess you're fucked."

Stephen chuckled, a toothy grin spreading on his face. "I guess I am. Wanna come by after Lent is over?"

Jon was already on his way out. He looked over his shoulder as he swung the door open. "Do you even have to ask?"

After the door closed Stephen slid his glasses back on and stared down at the contents of the box, nestled safely in bubble wrap. He reached in, slid the chocolates off the bubble wrap, and began popping the little plastic bubbles.

* * *

Nation, now I'm sure you all remember the last time Anderson Cooper came on The Colbert Report to talk about the difference between reporting behind a desk and reporting from the field. Me, I don't need to go anywhere; the desk is my field.

But that's not the point.

If you recall our conversation shifted to all the shenanigans going on in Vatican City, especially since Lent also started. I told him how important my religion was to me, and how seriously I took Lent. Remember when Ben and Jerry came on to reveal my flavor? That was during Lent. I had to wait weeks before I could try it, and Nation, it was worth it.

Anyway, Mr. Cooper flew to…where was it, some sort of tiny peaceful insignificant European country with half the world leaders, and said, and this is on record, Mr. Cooper, that you'd bring back something for The Colbert Report. Nation, do you know what he sent me? A box of very, very expensive chocolate. Nation, it's Lent. I gave up sweets for Jesus. And Mr. Cooper oh so thoughtfully sent me chocolate. Well you know what, Mr. Cooper? I'm going to keep this box right here on my desk, and every night I'm going to take out a chocolate bar and wave it at Jimmy because I too can be a sadist.

Now. Nation, I'm sure you've all heard that President Barack Obama signed the…

* * *

Monday night. The audience had gone home and the set people had cleaned things up and rearranged the props for tomorrow night's-oh that's right, it's past twelve.

Stephen paced around his C-shaped desk, his eyes on the open box of chocolates. Easter Sunday had come and gone, but he hadn't tried the chocolate and covered it up by throwing a few to his audience at the beginning of the taping.

In fact he'd gotten so used to mocking the chocolate that he lost all desire to try one. Maybe he'll pass out the rest to the staff and crew tomorrow, or take it home and give it to the kids on Saturday. And save a bar or two for Jon, like he promised.

Stephen reached into the box and ran a finger along the smooth wrapping, mentally attempting to pronounce its name and failing. Something knocked against the wall of the set and he looked over his shoulder. Then he turned the rest of his body around and crossed his arms over his chest, arching an eyebrow.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Anderson smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, well, thought I'd stop by on the way back-"

"Chocolate, Anderson?" He was going to get to the point _now_, rather than wonder why at the almost-shy gestures. "You sent me _foreign chocolate_?"

"Well, actually-"

"I wasn't joking when I said I took Lent seriously. I do. That little scene you filmed for me with the Ben and Jerry's ice cream-"

"I know, I haven't forgotten. What happened was that, uh, that chocolate wasn't…for the set."

"…what?"

Anderson stepped forward, pressing his hand to his mouth as he tried to suppress a smile. "I was trying to send you something else but it…got lost. Or it broke. I don't know what happened to it, but apparently it never showed up."

Stephen glanced at the open box of chocolates next to him. "Oh. Well…something got lost in translation."

He grinned when the anchor started giggling. He leaned against the desk watching him before glancing down at the floor, whatever fake anger and real slight he felt towards the man quickly fading away. Then Anderson cleared his throat and Stephen looked up, his breath hitching when he noticed how quickly the man had closed the distance between them without so much a sound.

"About the chocolate-"

His eyebrow shot up again.

"-I didn't forget the Lent part."

"Yeah?" The corner of his mouth twitched when his voice went a note higher than expected.

Anderson's smile was suspiciously cavalier, like he was proud of something. The man should sport that smile more often in front of the camera, instead of acting the part of the Bearer of Doom &amp; Gloom®. "I thought you wouldn't eat it until after Easter."

"Yeah, and no thanks to you I don't feel like trying at all," he said, trying to sound annoyed and failing.

"That's what happens when you vilify a box of chocolates."

"I should promote that method. Obesity, begone."

Anderson giggled again. "Only you, Stephen. Who else can pull it off but you?"

"Are you complimenting me, sir? I thought you disapproved of the truthiness."

"Not everyone can live by fact alone."

"I knew you weren't Vulcan."

"Did I say I was?"

"Gut instinct, Anderson. No man can live on fact and logic alone without becoming a total bore."

"…I was talking about my TV habit."

Go figure. "So I did offend you."

"For a second. Then I remembered I was being interviewed by 'Stephen', not _you_."

He stared at Anderson in surprise. There was something odd in the way he said that sentence, the emphasis on "you" that left him feeling warm and, for lack of better words, tingly. "Yeah, well…_I_ have questions about your addiction to reality TV, too."

That sounded incredibly lame-what was wrong with him? Was he really having this conversation with Anderson? All because of a box of foreign chocolate? …was Anderson _hitting_ on him?

"…so you're seriously not going to eat that chocolate."

His eyes refocused and he first glanced up at Anderson, and then at the cardboard box. "What? Oh, no, I don't know, might give it to the crew, or the audience, or my kids. Sometimes I forget it's not Lent anymore. Cold turkey."

Anderson hid his smile behind the back of his hand. Stephen thought he said something but it was unintelligible and so he said, "What?"

"Uh…nothing."

He considered keeping one of his eyebrows up in a permanent arch. Anderson was bright red, which was far more interesting than Anderson mumbling things. "No, really, what were you saying-"

The lights suddenly flickered and half of the stage lights switched off. Stephen scowled and looked up at the ceiling. "Jimmy, I'm still here, turn the-"

There were fingertips on his face, light to the touch, bringing his face down, and suddenly a mouth on his, a shocking but warm presence. And tasting like chocolate.

Anderson pulled back, breathing fast.

Stephen was at a loss for words…except... "You taste like chocolate."

He could barely see Anderson's eyes in the dim lighting. "Yeah, uh…I had some on the way here-"

Stephen grinned, leaned forward, and cut him off with another one, wrapping his hand around the back of Anderson's neck and bringing him even closer. The man tasted ridiculously like chocolate; if Stephen was going to end the year's Lent this was one hell of a way to do it, even if Anderson was one day late.

"So you're okay with this?" Anderson asked, lips brushing against his, a wonderfully soft sensation.

Stephen smiled.

"It's a start."

* * *

Where the hell was Stephen? Jon wandered around the studio, poking his head into every nook and cranny, and scowling when he didn't find who he was looking for.

"Hey," he called out to one of the stage crew who was switching off all the lights on the stage. "Where's Stephen?"

The crewmember stared at him for a full thirty seconds before finally saying, "…out?"

"Out where?"

"…with that CNN anchor-"

"Oh. Okay then. Never mind. Hey, was there a cardboard box on the desk? Turn on a light, will ya?"


End file.
